Japanese destroyer Yūgumo
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan
| |
| Name: | Yūgumo |
| Ordered: | Maizuru Naval Arsenal |
| Laid down: | 12 June 1940 |
| Launched: | 16 March 1941 |
| Completed: | 5 December 1941 |
| Commissioned: | 5 December 1941, 10th Destroyer Division |
| Struck: | 1 December 1943 |
| Fate: | Sunk in action, 7 October 1943 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Yūgumo-class destroyer |
| Displacement: |
|
| Length: | 119.15 m (390 ft 11 in) |
| Beam: | 10.8 m (35 ft 5 in) |
| Draught: | 3.75 m (12 ft 4 in) |
| Speed: | 35.5 knots (40.9 mph; 65.7 km/h) |
| Complement: | 225 (1941) |
| Armament: |
|
Yūgumo (夕雲, "Evening Clouds") was the lead ship of her class of destroyer built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Design and description
The Yūgumo class was a repeat of the preceding Kagerō class with minor improvements that increased their anti-aircraft capabilities. Their crew numbered 228 officers and enlisted men. The ships measured 119.17 meters (391 ft 0 in) overall, with a beam of 10.8 meters (35 ft 5 in) and a draft of 3.76 meters (12 ft 4 in).[1] They displaced 2,110 metric tons (2,080 long tons) at standard load and 2,560 metric tons (2,520 long tons) at deep load.[2] The ships had two Kampon geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines were rated at a total of 52,000 shaft horsepower (39,000 kW) for a designed speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph).[3]
The main armament of the Yūgumo class consisted of six Type 3 127-millimeter (5.0 in) guns in three twin-gun turrets, one superfiring pair aft and one turret forward of the superstructure.[2] The guns were able to elevate up to 75° to increase their ability against aircraft, but their slow rate of fire, slow traversing speed, and the lack of any sort of high-angle fire-control system meant that they were virtually useless as anti-aircraft guns.[4] They were built with four Type 96 25-millimeter (1.0 in) anti-aircraft guns in two twin-gun mounts, but more of these guns were added over the course of the war. The ships were also armed with eight 610-millimeter (24.0 in) torpedo tubes in a two quadruple traversing mounts; one reload was carried for each tube. Their anti-submarine weapons comprised two depth charge throwers for which 36 depth charges were carried.[2]
Construction and career
Yūgumo participated in the battles of Midway, the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz Islands.
The destroyer made troop transport runs to Guadalcanal 7 and 10 November 1942. She then made troop transport run to Buna, Papua New Guinea on 17 and 22 November. The ship then performed troop evacuation runs to Guadalcanal on 1 and 4 February 1943. 3 days later, Yūgumo took part in a troop evacuation run to the Russell Islands. The destroyer made Troop transport runs to Kolombangara on 1 and 5 April.
On 29 July, Yūgumo evacuated 479 soldiers from Kiska. She performed a troop evacuation run to Kolombangara 2 October 1943. On the night of 6–7 October 1943, Yūgumo was on a troop evacuation run to Vella Lavella. In the Battle of Vella Lavella, she charged U.S. destroyers, irreparably damaging USS Chevalier with a torpedo. She was sunk in turn by gunfire and at least one torpedo from Chevalier and USS Selfridge, 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Vella Lavella (07°33′S 156°14′E / 7.550°S 156.233°ECoordinates: 07°33′S 156°14′E / 7.550°S 156.233°E), with 138 killed. U.S. PT boats rescued 78 survivors and another 25 reached friendly lines in an abandoned U.S. lifeboat, but Commander Osako was killed in action.
Notes
References
- Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
- Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
- Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
- Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.
External links
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